BC paralegals support certification

Over 90% of BC paralegals responding to a recent Law Society survey say they would apply to become certified paralegals if the Society introduces a certification program as proposed by the Paralegal Task Force.

The survey results are available in the Task Force's Report on Paralegal Survey Results, available on the Law Society website at www.lawsociety.bc.ca.

The Law Society is considering paralegal certification as a way of raising the profile of paralegals in law firms and law-related workplaces and ensuring that members of the public in BC fully recognize and derive the benefit of paralegals working with lawyers in the delivery of legal services. The Task Force is also of the view that it is to the advantage of BC lawyers to use paralegals in the delivery of legal services as effectively as possible to ensure the profession meets current and future marketplace competition.

The survey was intended to gauge overall interest in certification, determine whether or not the proposed standards for certification are appropriate and ensure input on the proposal from paralegals.

For more information, lawyers are invited to read the Task Force's paper, Proposal for a Law Society Paralegal Certification Scheme, in the Resource Library/Reports section of the website.